Archive for April, 2008

American Idol Season 7 (2008) – Top 6

Performance Show

 

Good Evening, America! We’re down to the Final 6, and the competition is tougher than ever. Kristy Lee Cook was sent packing last week, and in her honor, we’ll still continue the tradition of having the Kristy Lee Cook Trio. (It seems only appropriate to do so.) Tonight, our Idols will be singing the songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber. For those of you who don’t know, he is the man behind such Broadway hits as Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats (ugh), Phantom of the Opera, and Evita. This should be an interesting night for song choices. (I’m looking at you David Cook.) So sit back, grab your Playbill, and enjoy the show. This… is American Idol!
 
Syesha is our first Idol of the evening. She’ll be singing “One Rock and Roll Too Many”. (Definitely not what I thought she would choose.) The song starts out very Fosse-esque with her on top of the piano. It quickly turns into a jazzy kind of thing, and her vocals were spot on. One word… Personality. (My only question is where has this personality been the last 3 months? Did she sign a contract with the Idol producers agreeing not to be likeable till tonight?) She showed more real emotion than she ever has, and this could be the performance that keeps her around for another week or so.
 
Jason Castro is second, and he’s singing “Memories” from ‘Cats’. (I thought that would be a song David Archuleta would do.) I don’t really have a good feeling about this. The first part started out well, but then he went flat, and it continued downhill from there. The original of this song is waaaaaaaaaaay out of his vocal range. This version didn’t hit the right emotional notes for me, and it all felt kinda blah and very weak. (Oh, look! There’s Courtney Cox!)
 
Brooke White is third with “You Must Love Me” from Evita. (Oh, look! There’s Betty Buckley from the Original Broadway Cast of Cats.) This is one of my favorite songs from Evita. She started off well, and then flubbed the words, and decided to start over. (Don’t know if they’ll be as forgiving since she’s done this before.) That might have done the trick, because she’s connecting with the song more this time around. (Or that could be fear.) Her vulnerability showed. Unfortunately, I think her nerves got the best of her vocals. Overall, I still thought it was wonderful. Having said that, Brooke needed a big performance this week to stick around, and I have a feeling this might have been her swan song.
 
David Archuleta is next with “Think of Me” from Phantom of the Opera. (Wow, I’m not good at picking out their song choices this evening.) He’s taken this Diva’s Lament and turned it into a Boy Band Diddy. Vocally, it works for him, of course. This kid could sing the phone book, and people would clap. (I don’t mean me… just people.) As I said last week, I’ve gotten bored with him. No matter what I say or do, this season is going to come down to a finale between the Davids. Blah.
 
Carly Smithson is our next-to-last performer singing “Jesus Christ Superstar” from… oh, never mind, I’m sure you can guess. This is a big song, and she’s got a big ol’ voice to go with it. She rocked out, and it was phenomenal! This was her strongest performance in a several weeks. (Love the t-shirt!)
 
David Cook is here to close the show. (I’m not sure how he gets to close the show more than any other artist.) He’s singing “Music of the Night” from Phantom of the Opera. (Crap! I was so close with this song choice… right show, wrong song.) As usual, it was a good vocal performance. I have to give him credit for stepping out of his comfort zone, but I would have preferred that he do the rock version of “The Phantom of the Opera”. If I have to listen to him, I’d rather her his gritty rock thing.
 
Well, that’s our show for this evening. I think the members of the Honorary Kristy Lee Cook Trio will be Syesha, Jason, and Brooke, and I have a bad feeling that Brooke will be the one to go home. (I voted again, and again, and again, and again… to try to prevent that from happening.) I guess all we can do is wait till tomorrow. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.

Results Show

Good Evening, America! Here we are… in just 60 long minutes we’ll find out who will be our Final 5. For one person, this will be their final curtain call. Take a bow. The show is over. It’s time for you to go. This… is American Idol!
 
Before one of our Idols’ dreams of stardom is shattered, they are here to perform “All I Ask of You” with Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. (Hmmm, I guess I never realized that our Final 6 was composed of 3 guys and 3 girls. Nothing of significance there. Just something I noticed.) The girls definitely have better harmony than the guys. This song was never meant to be done by an ensemble. As a result, it was nice, overall, but kinda bland. Sir Andy (as he asked me to call him) really felt for Brooke last night. As did I.
 
Our Ford Music Video comes early in the show this evening. It’s to “Tainted Love”, and was a kind of fusion of comic books and Grand Theft Auto. Have to admit, I did love our Idols dressed as Pop Star Gangsters. Oh so glam!
 
Tonight, instead of the Kristy Lee Cook Trio, we will be having the Kristy Lee Cook Duo. (Is this because we are getting down in numbers or because no one besides Jason and Brooke are actually in danger? You decide.) First up, the Davids. (I dubbed them that last night. I think Seacrest reads my blog.) Obviously, they are safe. (For a few days anyway… until they have to work with Neil Diamond. Hmmm, maybe it would be better to get kicked off tonight.)
 
Since it’s all about Broadway this week, we get a peek at what shows some of our Idols have done. Diana DeGarmo (from Season 3) was in Hairspray. Fantasia (the winner of Season 3) starred in The Color Purple. As did last season’s LaKisha Jones. Tamyra Gray (one of my favorite Idols of all time) is on her 2nd Broadway show… this time as Mimi in Rent. (Note to self… plan trip to NYC to see Tamyra.) Clay Aiken (runner up in Season 2) is in Monty Python’s Spamalot. (Take a look David Archuleta… this is you in 5 years. Seriously.)
 
I’m so excited for this next performance!!! The winner of Britain’s X-Factor, Leona Lewis, is here to sing Bleeding Love. (Currently my favorite song from my current favorite album) I don’t know what there is to say about this. All of our Idols could take a lesson from her. Especially on what to do if you plan to just stand there and sing. She’s spectacular. She’s flawless. (Loved the columns of fire!) If you haven’t downloaded this cd from iTunes, go do it now. (I’ll wait till you get back.)
 
Back to the results. Syesha and Brooke White. (I have a feeling as to how this will go, but I’ll wait for Ryan to verify it for me.) After the vote, Brooke is… safe!! What?! Can you say that again? I think I just hallucinated. (I knew voting 50 times would be worth it!) Syesha is our first member of the Kristy Lee Cook Duo, and she doesn’t seem too pleased when Paula tells her she should be used to it by now. Hey, the truth hurts. (Still doing the Happy Dance about Brooke!) Next up, Carly and Jason. (If there is any justice, Jason will join Syesha, because Carly knocked it out of the park.) After the vote, Jason is… safe. What? This is like bizarro night. (I had come to terms with Brooke and Jason being in the Bottom 2, and neither one is.) All I can say is that Syesha better be the one to go home.
 
Now we’re down to it. Syesha or Carly. Carly or Syesha. One stays and one goes. (I really hope Syesha goes.) After the nationwide vote (that would be 38 million of them)… Carly… is leaving us this evening. Seriously? Seriously! You’ve got to be kidding me. This is just as shocking as Michael Johns leaving a few weeks ago. (I am not pleased.) Okay, now all I can say is that she better get a record deal. (Do you think she was voted off because she’s not American?)
 
Well, that’s our show for this evening. I’m not sure what to say. I’m still stunned. Yay that my Brooke stayed (I know a lot of people are not as happy as I am.), and my dream of her making it to the Final 5 was realized, but boo that Carly had to go home. And now we all have to deal with Neil Diamond Week next Tuesday. (Ugh) Oh well, this show is full of surprises. Tune in next week for a few more. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.

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American Idol Season 7 (2008) – Top 7

Performance Show

Good Evening, America! I know some of you are still shocked that Michael Johns left us last week. But in the immortal words of Richard Fish… bygones. We have to move on, because it’s Tuesday yet again, and that means our Top 7 are here to perform a whole new crop of songs for us. Hold on to your seats… it’s going to be a painful night. This… is American Idol!
 
You may be wondering why I said it was going to be painful. Let me explain. Has there ever been a person you severely disliked? Someone whose voice made you cringe? If you have, then you’ll understand where I’m coming from. For me, that person is Mariah Carey… and, unfortunately, tonight our Idols will be singing all Mariah songs. After this episode, I think I’ll have a pretty clear picture of what Hell is like.
 
Our first performance of the evening comes from the Tween Dream, David Archuleta. He and his leather pants will be singing “When You Believe”. (Huge shock at the song choice.) Technically, he sang amazingly well, as always. But for me, the song was boring. I didn’t feel any real emotion coming from him. It was like Stepford Archuleta took over for the evening.
 
Next up, Carly Smithson is singing “Without You”. This is closer to old-school Mariah, which back in the day, I was a fan of. (This was before the diva ego and the screeching.) Carly has toned down the song a bit to better fit within her range. She still strains on the bigger runs and was a bit hesitant in the beginning, but overall it was good. Not great, but good.
 
Syesha will be gracing us with her version of “Vanishing”. (I have a feeling that the piano/singer combo will be popular this evening.) Wow, Syesha has a big ol’ voice, doesn’t she? Other than some minor pitch problems, there isn’t anything negative I can say about her performance. This was a big week for Syesha.
 
Brooke White, America’s Sweetheart, is next with “Hero”. It’s the Dynamic Duo, Brooke and the Piano. (Hoping the band doesn’t join in.) She’s toned down the big notes to suit her interpretation. It’s simple. It’s subtle. Her version gives me a brand new appreciation for this song.
 
Next we are “treated” to Kristy Lee Cook singing “Forever”. I’m shocked at how easily this song transformed into a country ballad. The beginning sounded more like moaning and mumbling than singing. I hate to admit it, but after some whininess, the end was good, and overall this worked for her.
 
Of all the Idols, I’m most interested to hear David Cook this evening. I’m not sure how he’s going to pull out a rock version to “Always Be My Baby”. (Oh, look, there’s Ramiele!) I’m kinda impressed with this arrangement. Not as impressed with his vocals as the beginning of the song. David added some intensity and layers to his vocals at the end that made the song a winner for him.
 
Closing the show is Jason Castro singing “I Wanna Cry”. He, Brooke, and David Cook are the ones that had to change the songs the most this week to fit their identities. (And for a Mariah-hater, that is a very good thing.) I loved this interpretation. The emotion came through, and his vocals were able to shine more than usual.
 
And even though we’re running late, Paula takes a moment to spin Paula’s Wheel of Random Emotion, and she lands on “Inane Babbling”. Well, other than having to hear Mariah 7 times, the night wasn’t painful at all. In fact, I rather enjoyed it. (I probably shouldn’t put that down on paper, because I know it is going to come back to haunt me.) That’s our show for this evening. I’d have to put Carly, Kristy, and Syesha in the Bottom 3. (Just a safe bet, don’t you think?) Tune in tomorrow night for cruel and unusual punishment when Mimi herself will be “singing”. Who will stay? Who will go? Only one way to find out. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.

Results Show

Good Evening, America! We survived Tax Day and Mariah Carey night, but she’s back this evening to torture us with a song. (Honestly, isn’t one of the Idols leaving enough pain for one night?) After the performances, I’m not sure who is going to be sent home. Let’s find out together. This… is American Idol!
 
The Final 7 are singing one of the most overplayed songs of all time… “One Sweet Day”. When this song came out, I really wanted to like it because of Boyz 2 Men, but Mariah ruined it for me. It’s been 12 years, and I still hate it.
 
Now to the results. Who’s safe? Who’s in the Bottom 3? First up, Jason Castro, whose big blue eyes and charming personality have kept him safe so far, is asked to start a group on the left. (That means this is my least favorite week of the year. I hate when he splits them up like this. The Bottom 3 are never the ones we expect.) David Cook is sent to the group on the right. (Until we see David Archuleta, we’re not going to be sure which group is safe.) Carly Smithson is in the group on the left. (Have a bad feeling about the group on the left.) Kristy Lee Cook is in the group on the right. (Seriously?)
 
Before we have to hear Elliot Yamin, we get the Ford Music Video to “I Want to Break Free”. This week, our Idols are pale, unhappy marionettes living in a cubicle world. (If I didn’t work for such a great company, I might have a comment on this.) Now, it’s time for Elliot Yamin. (Would you look at that… I accidentally hit the fast forward.) Again, I would like to express my deepest sympathy to Elliot for the loss of his amazing mother.
 
Back to the results. Here we are so far. Left Group: Carly and Jason. Right Group: the Cooks. Syesha is next, and she is sent to the group on the left. (Now, more than ever, I’m thinking that the Left Group is the Bottom 3, but I’m always shocked at the results during this week, so who knows?) Brooke White, America’s Sweetheart, is sent to the group on the right. (Crossing my fingers that the Right Group is safe.)
 
Time for Phone Calls with the Idols. Here’s what we found out. Kristy Lee cannot buy back her barrel horse, the Judges are old, David Cook is single, and Paula & Simon most resemble Opposites Attract (and she’ll never be Forever his Girl). Mariah Carey is here to perform “Bye-Bye”, which is not to be confused with “Bye-Bye-Bye” by N*Sync. (How funny is that… my finger accidentally hit fast-forward again.)
 
Again to the results. Here’s what we have. Left Group: Syesha, Carly, and Jason. Right Group: David Cook, Kristy Lee Cook, and Brooke Cook. (Sorry, got carried away.) All that’s left is for Ryan to tell David Archuletta that he is safe and make him choose a group to stand with. (Most evil part of the night.) David, of course, is safe. Uh-oh, Ryan just pulled a trick on us and had David Cook switch with Syesha. That means that the Left Group is our Bottom 3 this evening. (Crap. I told you I didn’t like this week.)
 
So, it’s Kristy, Brooke, and Syesha in the Bottom 3 this week. The person going back to safety immediately is Syesha. (Very, very bad feelings about this now.) Kristy Lee or Brooke? (Please don’t let it be Brooke.) After the nationwide vote, the person staying for at least another week is… Brooke!!!! (Whew! That was close. I guess my 21 votes last night helped after all.) Kristy Lee Cook is leaving us this evening. She’s survived the Kristy Lee Cook Trio way too many times, and her time is finally up. (Still shocked that it didn’t happen after disaster of the first Beatles’ week.) Props to her for sitting on the table and singing to Simon. If you gotta go, that’s the way to do it.
 
That’s our show for tonight. That was way too close for my liking. My nerves are still on edge. I know Brooke won’t win the show, but I’d really like for her to make the Top 5. Well, another week down, and another Idol gone. Next Tuesday, the Idols will be performing the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. (Anyone wanna take bets now that David Archuleta does something from Joseph and the ‘Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ or ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’?) Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.

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American Idol Season 7 (2008) – Top 8

Performance Show

Good Evening, America! This is going to be a big week for Idol. Tonight, we have the performances from our Top 8. Tomorrow, we have Idol Gives Back (starting at 7:30), and then on Thursday, we have our results. By the time Friday rolls around, we’ll be all Idoled out. But for now, let’s see what our wannabes have in store for us. This… is American Idol!
 
Before we get started, there are two things I’d like say. First, I want to thank everyone the reads my blog every week. I truly appreciate it. Second, everyone should run out and purchase the Leona Lewis cd “Spirit”. It came out today, and it’s amazing. Leona Lewis won the British show X-Factor (which is another Simon Cowell production). She reminds of Whitney (without the crack) and Mariah (without the ego). You can download it on iTunes (which is what I did, while I drank a Coke and sent a text on my AT&T Wireless phone). Leona’s first single, “Bleeding Love”, is phenomenal.
 
Tonight’s theme is inspirational songs. (Bah. Boring. But I’m sure David Archuleta is totally excited.) First up in the Spot of Death is Michael Johns doing “Dream On”. It’s another rock song, but, for me, this Aerosmith song doesn’t really fit his “persona”. It starts a little flat (okay, a lot flat), and there were parts at the end that were a little too high-pitched screechy for my taste, but overall it was pretty okay. The whole was greater than the sum of the parts. (When Randy questions the song choice, Michael goes into a Borat-like, “I came to this wonderful country with a dream,” speech. Backstage, Kristy Lee Cook is fuming over the show’s bias towards immigrant patriotism.)
 
Syesha is our second performer of the night singing “I Believe” by our 3rd season Idol Winner, Fantasia. (This was written by one of my favorite Idols, Tamyra Gray.) She starts off soft and low, and then when the choir joins in, she really goes for it, but I’m not sure it went. I agree with the judges. It lacked that heartfelt emotion. Syesha, I know Fantasia Barino, and you miss are no Fantasia.
 
Jason Castro is singing a unique version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. I’ll say it again, he needs to impress this week. This version of the song is pure Jason. It’s subtle and understated allowing the message to come front and center. Jason is able to stretch for some notes that he hasn’t gone for in a few weeks. It was simple, and I loved it!
 
Next up is Kristy Lee Cook. She’s singing “Anyway” by Martina McBride. I’ve gotten bored with her. (Not Martina McBride, she’s great. I mean Kristy.) She should have gone home weeks ago, but since she didn’t, I guess I have to talk about her performance. Hmmm, nice things I can say… the choir blended much better with Kristy than they did with Syesha. Her vocals were strong overall, and I didn’t hate it. It was her best performance by a long shot. Ugh, that nearly took all the nice I had left.
 
David Cook is singing “Innocent”. He says that everyone has a good side. I beg to differ. I know several people that are evil to the core. (And, no, I’m not talking about me.) I’ve been waiting for weeks for David to stumble… and this is finally the week. (That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy his performances the past two weeks, because I did.) His vocals during the verses were weak, and his super-smug ego came back in full-force during his performance. (Didn’t he look like a wounded puppy after the judges had their way with him?) I know my David bashing is not popular with my readers, but I’m sorry, something about him just rubs me the wrong way.
 
Carly Smithson is next with “The Show Must Go On” by Queen. This wasn’t her best performance. It started off really well, but near the middle of the song, she became extremely pitchy and starting screaming and straining. At the end, she oversang, and the performance came off angry and not very inspirational. Uh-oh. Unless she gets a lot of votes, her show might not go on.
 
David Archuleta, the Tween Dream, is our next-to-last singer of the evening. (This week of weepy, feel-good ballads was made for him.) For his inspirational song, he has chosen “Angels”. He’s playing the piano while he sings, but, unfortunately, the band drowns out his piano playing, so I can’t comment on that. His voice, as usual, was nearly flawless. For me, this arrangement never completely got off the ground. It was fine, but it wasn’t the Robbie Williams version. However, if David continues to stick to this type of song, it’s gonna be hard for anyone to beat him in the end.
 
Brooke White, in the Pimp Slot tonight, is singing “You’ve Got a Friend” by Carole King. This song is perfectly suited to her voice and her style. Brooke connects with the song and the audience. When she sings, you can believe what she’s singing. It wasn’t show-stopping, but it was wonderful and a perfect way to end the night.
 
Hmmm, not the best week overall. Pretty rough, actually. I’m not saying these people will get the most votes, but the three that I thought did the best were David Archuleta, Jason Castro, and Brooke White. For the Bottom 3, I’d have to go with Syesha and Carly, and it wouldn’t be the Kristy Lee Cook Trio without Kristy Lee Cook. (Even if she did a pretty okay job tonight and doesn’t actually deserve to go home this week.)
 
That’s our show for tonight. Tomorrow is Idol Strikes Back, so I will not be blogging. (Even I think it would be mean and wrong to criticize a charity event.) I’ll be back on Thursday for our results. Who will stay? Who will go? Only time and an hours worth of filler will tell. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.

Results Show

Good Evening, America! So, we survived over 2.5 hours of Idol Strikes Back last night. There were some amazing performances (Heart and Fergie!), some funny bits (Miley Cyrus and Billy Crystal), and a lot of great charities that were highlighted. But now, the good feelings are over, and it’s time to send another wannabe packing. Who will stay? Who will go? Let’s find out. This… is American Idol!
 
Because the show ran over last night, and good number of people never saw the performance, our Top 8 are here to perform “Shout to the Lord” one more time. Definitely some great harmonies, and I love any song where the Idols sing with a big choir. Last year, one of my favorite parts of Idol Gives Back was when they had celebrities singing and dancing to “I Will Survive”. This year, we have a new crop of celebrities including Dr. Phil, Ricki Lake, Selma Blair, and Cat Deeley (from So You Think You Can Dance) lip synching to “I’m a Believer”.
 
Now, to our results. Safety Couches or part of the Kristy Lee Cook Trio? First up, Brooke White, America’s Sweetheart, who rushes Ryan through to her results, is SAFE! (Yay! Great night already!) David Cook, who stumbled a bit on Tuesday, is safe. (Not a huge shock.) David Archuleta, our presumptive American Idol Winner, is, of course, safe.
 
As a break from results, we have our current American Idol, Jordin Sparks, with Chris Brown singing “No Air”. This is an amazing song. Actually, Jordin’s whole cd is pretty impressive. (In case you didn’t know, you can download it on iTunes.) It seems like people do know how to download, because her first two singles have had over 1 million downloads each. Definitely deserved.
 
Time for the Ford Music Video to the tune “I Just Want to Celebrate”. Our Idols have decided to ruin their good-guy images by dumping paint all over the Los Angeles River. Don’t they know that that’s illegal and harmful to the environment? I think Al Gore needs to have a very long talk with each and every one of them.
 
Next up for results is our Muppet Idol, Jason Castro. He’s safe too. (Not surprised.) That means we have four Idols left and 3 stools open. Kristy Lee Cook is… safe? What? (Oh Ryan, you are a tricky little devil.) This leaves Syesha, Carly Smithson, and Michael Johns as the Bottom 3. (Hmmm, interesting.) After some more filler and a special appearance by Barack Obama, Ryan jumps right to it and sends Michael Johns back to Australia. He adds to the pain by reminding everyone how last year they didn’t eliminate anyone during Idol Gives Back week, obviously giving Michael a bit of hope (you could see it in his eyes), but then Ryan crushes that hope by telling him that he is indeed going home. (If that weren’t so mean, I probably would have laughed.)
 
Well, that’s our show for this evening. I did not expect it to go down that way. Syesha or Kristy should have gone first, but they’ll go at some point, so I have no worries. Tune in next week when our Top 7 will take on a whole new genre of songs. (And David Archuleta will sing a ballad, and David Cook will do a rock cover.) Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.

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American Idol Season 7 (2008) – Top 9

Performance Show

Good Evening, America! Spring is finally kinda here, but instead of love being in the air… it’s country music. (And I don’t mean the theme to “Deliverance”.) Tonight, none other than living legend and Country Music Icon Dolly Parton will be mentoring our Idols. They’ll also be singing Dolly songs. Now, I’m sure there are some of you that aren’t big country fans, but who doesn’t love Dolly? Even my mother, who swears that country music makes her want to go all Vincent van Gogh on her ears, likes Dolly Parton. So, sit back, relax, and prepare yourself for a boot-scootin’, honky-tonkin’ night. This… is American Idol!
 
Ryan starts the show with an extremely lame April Fool’s Joke. (Sometimes I just really hate him.) We’re treated to a great package about Dolly. She seems so genuine and nice… somebody you could sit down to dinner with and have a conversation like you’ve known each other for years. (Dolly! Call me! We’ll do lunch.)
 
Brooke White, America’s Sweetheart, is up first in the Spot of Death with “Jolene”. It’s her and few other musicians on the stage. She’s captivating and warm, as always. The scaled back orchestration works very well with her voice, and the emotion of the song shines through. As nice as Brooke is, I think she would put a major beat down on anyone that tried to steal her man.
 
David Cook is next with “Little Sparrow”. At least he finally fessed up to ripping off all his arrangements so far this season… till tonight that is. This one is all his own. (David got his hair cut, but somehow he has a clump of hair right in the center of his head sticking straight up like a cockatoo.) Unfortunately, again, he did an amazing job. Except I don’t like his falsetto as much as he does. By the time he gets to the last note, it betrays him completely. Oh well. He and his smug self will be around for a long time to come.
 
Ramiele is third with “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?”. She’s moving around and, thanks to the song, she’s able to put some emotion and energy into her performance, but because 1/3 of the song is in the lower register, she mumbles a lot and some things are too low for her to enunciate. Ramiele has lost a good bit of her star quality, but thanks to the last half of the song, this was a major improvement over last week. Simon said he wouldn’t remember this in 10 years. Heck, I barely remembered it 10 seconds later. I don’t see her making it much longer.
 
Jason Castro is the next one to the stage with “Travelin’ Thru”. He isn’t going too far out of his comfort zone or straining his vocal range in the least… but, like Ramiele, this was an improvement. This wasn’t the big week that he needed, but it was better. Unfortunately, our Idol Muppet may be ‘travelin’ thru’ to the Bottom 3.
 
Carly Smithson is performing “Here You Come Again”. This song showcases Carly’s amazing vocal abilities. I didn’t hear one wrong note… her strongest performance in weeks. Definitely enough to keep her out of the Kristy Lee Cook Trio.
 
David Archuleta, singing “Smokey Mountain Memories”, follows Carly. He has a knack for picking the most emotional power ballads available, doesn’t he? (And I swear, if the Most Pit doesn’t get in sync with their arm waving, I’m going to reach through the TV and beat them but good.) This type of song is where he shines. The tone of his voice is spectacular. I can see him selling millions of records. But I also see America tiring of him just as quickly as they did Clay Aiken.
 
Kristy Lee Cook is next. If any week is her week to shine, it is this week. Kristy is singing “The Coat of Many Colors”. Just like last week, she’s chosen an emotionally manipulative song to sing. Instead of questioning our patriotism, this time she is saying, “If you don’t vote for me, you don’t love your mother.” Country music is definitely her thing. Her tone is pleasant, but overall I could care less. I’m ready for her to go home.
 
Syesha is singing “I Will Always Love You”. Yes, for those of you who didn’t know it, Dolly did it before Whitney. (Oooh, there’s Vanna White! I also saw Top American Designer Michael Korrs from Project Runway!) Syesha is combining the simplicity of Dolly’s version with the divaness of Whitney’s version. She should have stuck with the Dolly version. Doing it this way, Syesha is able to go after the big Whitney notes, but most of those Whitney notes weren’t quite right. (Except the last two… those were pretty good.) Unfortunately, because she went for it, all people can say is “It was good, but it was no Whitney.”
 
Michael Johns has the Pimp Spot tonight. He’s closing the show with “It’s All Wrong, But It’s All Right”. He still has that Bryan Adams/David Hasslehoff vibe going on. He’s strong and powerful again this week. He’s finally coming back into his own.
 
My DVR stopped recording at this point, so I’m going to just wing it from here. For the Top 3, I’d have to say that Michael and the two Davids are safe. For the Bottom 3, it could be Ramiele, Kristy, Carly, or Jason. Should be interesting to see. Who will stay? Who will go home? Will they do “9 to 5” as the group song, or will they do “Islands in the Stream”, as I’m hoping they will? Tune in tomorrow night to find out. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.

Results Show

Good Evening, America! Another week down, and another singer has to go home. Who is safe? And who will be boot-scootin’ their way to the door? Let’s find out together. This… is American Idol!
 
First off, let’s talk about some serious things. I’m sure many of you heard that David Cook was rushed to the hospital last night after the show with heart palpitations and high blood pressure. He was examined, given some medication, and released a few hours later. He’s doing fine now, but he will need to be checked again in a few days. In other David Cook news, it has been reported that his brother’s cancer has returned. Also, I’ve received word that Elliot Yamin’s mother passed away this week. If you remember her from his season, then you know she was an adorable, amazing woman who loved her son dearly. My thoughts are with David, Elliot, and their families. (See, even I can be nice once in awhile. I promise not to make a habit of it.)
 
Well, I was half right about the group song. Instead of “Islands in the Stream”, they are doing “9 to 5”. (As a fun Idol fact for everyone, this is the song Chikezie was supposed to perform this week had he made it.) I don’t care who you are, this is a fun song. Hands down, this is the best group song yet.
 
Now, we’re right in to the results. Safe or Bottom 3? First up is Michael Johns. After last night, our Aussie Idol should be safe, and he is. Next up, David Archuleta, the Tween Dream, walks right across the stage and straight to the Safety Sofa. (Okay, not really, but he might as well have.) Carly Smithson is also safe. (No big surprises so far, except to Carly.)
 
Back to the show, and back to viewer questions. So far this has proven to be hit or miss. Repeating the same action over and over again and expecting a different result may not actually be the definition for “insanity,” but it’s pretty darn stupid. This week was more of the same. Pretty boring. There goes five minutes of my life that I will never get back. Now, on to the Clark Brothers singing “This Little Light of Mine”. I will not be rushing out to iTunes to download this. It doesn’t make me want to drink a Coke, drive a Ford, or use my AT&T wireless phone either. But, it is time for my highlight of Results Night, the Ford Music Video! Tonight, the Idols are singing “It’s Tricky” while pretending to be some street-tough version of the Harlem Globetrotters. Bah, I was not impressed.
 
More results. No one in the Bottom 3 yet. David Cook is next for his results. Ryan asks about his health then sends him to safety. Ramiele walks meekly on to the stage. It’s like she could tell what was coming next, because she is in the Bottom 3. Kristy Lee Cook follows her… right over to the Bottom 3. (At least she had her note ready. There’s a reason I call it the Kristy Lee Cook Trio.)
 
We get to catch up with some of our Country Idols. Bucky Covington and his unwashed hair. Phil Stacey and his stalker eyes. Then there’s my nephew’s old favorite, Bo Bice. It’s great to see that he’s just as nice of a guy now as he was on the show.
Results again. Syesha is the first of the last 3 on to the stage, and she is safe. (I don’t like how this is going.) Jason is sent to safety, which means Brooke is in the Final Member of the Kristy Lee Cook Trio. (Not happy at all.) Do you think this is my punishment for being mean?
 
While I sit here worrying about my girl Brooke, Dolly Parton is here to perform “Jesus and Gravity” from her new cd “Backwoods Barbie”. It’s a good song, and Dolly’s a hoot!
 
I’m really nervous. (I think my stomach just ate itself.) Thankfully, Ryan ends my suffering and sends Brooke to safety!!! (I knew voting 53 times for her would pay off! Excuse me while I pause the DVR for the required Happy Dance of Joy.) Now, down to Ramiele and Kristy. (Does it really matter between these two?) But to some voters out there it must, because Kristy Lee Cook is safe and tiny, tiny Ramiele is going home. (I refuse to acknowledge the Ruben song anymore. Crap, I just did! Okay then, starting now.)
 
That’s our show for this evening. I think we all need to take a moment and realize something important. I’m going to be extremely upset with all of you if you don’t vote for Brooke next week. I don’t need her to win, but I would like her to make the Top 5. Can you do that for me, please? Thank you. Tune in next week for our Top 8 to perform some set of songs that have yet to be revealed to us. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.

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